Rethey Tudu, an octogenarian Santal of Dinajpur, has developed a new technique to put his six-holed bamboo stick to good use. The invention is now an inseparable part of his life -- as a flute, a walking stick and more.
“Sometime I use the stick for hunting too,” asserts the elderly man who lives in Maniyabhita Adibashipara of Biral upazila, Dinajpur. His tiny hut is his only worldly possession.
“I used to earn Tk 70-100 a day about a few years back by playing the flute, but now I'm at the end of my tether since my earnings have reduced to a trickle as more modern instruments have taken over,” says Tudu.
Locals who have heard the melodious tunes of his flute told The Daily Star that his flute used to touch the hearts of people even in distant villages. However, now he cannot make a living out of playing the flute because of his age, say the locals.
“My four-foot long flute now helps me to walk as well,” says Tudu, who at one time used to walk 10-15 km everyday to make a living.
“It's not an ordinary bamboo stick,” adds Tudu with pride, pointing out that it is also a means of self-defence at night.
At the age of 80 he still plays the flute twice a day to secure two square meals. “Please arrange an old age allowance card for me,” he appeals.
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